Church or Country Club?

As I play more tennis these days and my wife, Linda, and Nathan, my youngest son, express an interest in playing, I have found myself considering the possibility of joining a tennis club or country club for the very purpose of having a pool of players from which to draw - as well as professionals to help us all improve & advance in our skill-level abilities.

As I perused one country club’s web site, I was struck by a few phrases:

1. Membership in this country club, a private club, is by referral. 


2. Proper tennis attire is required, "T" shirts and running shoes are not permitted.


3. We do not accept cash or credit transactions, all charges are billed to members' accounts.


4. While visiting this country club, we ask that you adhere to appropriate country club attire.  Jeans and other denim are not allowed anywhere on club property.  Collared and mock shirts are requested for gentleman and collared or sleeved shirts for ladies. 

Now, while I don’t have a problem with these rules for a country club, I wonder if we haven’t adopted them for our churches and, thereby, created an exclusivity that was not meant for the church.

What are the Biblical principles & truths regarding the church - especially regarding new people, non-believers?

1. Does our church welcome the new person with open arms or are there some behaviors, lifestyles, dress codes, hairstyles, speech patterns & lingo that are not allowed in “the church”?


2. Are we more concerned with how the newcomer presents himself/herself than we are about his/her eternal destiny?


3. Do we require newcomers to sign on the dotted line BEFORE they can avail themselves of the wonderful benefits of the local church (Bible teaching, counseling, friendships, financial aid, assistance, etc.)?


4. Does our church present itself in a way that communicates that it is a refuge FROM the world? That it is a place where the dirty, the homeless, the hurting, the sinful, the broken are not welcome to display their flaws in any way?

I fear that the average, white, middle-class or upper-class church is more about what WE want than what JESUS wants. That the call from Jesus to those who need healing, help & cleansing is directed to other churches - maybe those downtown churches - but not ours. We want a refuge from the world in our little church building. We want separation from the pain, suffering, dirt and sin that goes on in the world.

I have only one thing to say: Our refuge is in Jesus Christ - not a building or a group of people. Together, as we find refuge IN HIM, we realize this one truth: It doesn’t matter WHERE we are (i.e. in the most despicable of surroundings) or WITH WHOM we are (sinners of the most vile kind), we ALWAYS have a refuge IN JESUS CHRIST.

Church or country club? What’s yours?